The positive training can be applied to many kinds of animals. This incentive practice helps to mobilize your pet. It learns happily to respond to your commands, and you don´t have to pressure or force your dog.

This method was demonstrated beyond any doubt by Keller Breland (1915–1965) and Marian Kruse (1920 – 2001), who have been students of psychologist B.F. Skinner (1904 – 1990) and later a couple in life. B.F. Skinner believed that human free will is an illusion and that any human action is the result of the consequences of the same action. If the consequences are bad, there is a high chance that the action will not be repeated; however if the consequences are good, the actions that led to it will become more possible[1].
Earlier animal trainers had historically relied primarily on punishment when teaching animals. Keller and Marian Breland instead followed Skinner’s emphasis on the use of positive reinforcement to train animals, using rewards for desired behavior. Related to documents of the time of the 1940s, the couple trained almost 140 animal species including dogs, pigs, rats, cats, ravens, dolphins and wales by using the method of clicker and reward[2].

How does positive training look like in practice?

Consider the following example: We have a dog who has been rewarded each time his butt is resting on the floor. Automatically the dog captures the sequence and tries again to gain the reward. So when an animal perceives only good feelings in demand and action, it automatically facilitates the training. The animal understands more to interact and starts enjoy learning!

Simply said, “When reward becomes a behavior, there are more chances that the positive response will occur again”.

The responsibility that we train a dog in the right way is definitely ours, and we must be firm and clear towards the dog.

When do you use the positive training?

A very important part of positive training is that it can be applied to dogs from a very young age. Positive reinforcement has a positive impact on your daily life with your pet. Common things for us, like the sounds of the city, a car ride, a visit to the Mall, can be combined to some good experience for the puppy if associated with treats.

Positive training helps to recover difficult pets.

With positive education we can easier reach out to sensitive and shy animals, simply because by a “click” you encourage their good behavior. During practice, it is necessary that you provide patience.

I have personally trained dozens of fearful and antisocial dogs, simply “breaking” their negative story in their mind, by approaching and rewarding them. So they slowly could let go of fear and mistrust and became more relaxed and extroverted. They started to play and feeling more comfortable in society.

What is the outcome of positive training?

In conclusion, it is a method that if we use it correctly, it creates animals with a calm nature, confidence, curiosity and willingness to learn. It takes practice to know how to use the clicker in a right way, because positive reinforcement does not mean that at every moment you will feed your dog.

To get more information about Borompokas Vasilis, who is a professional trainer, please visitwww.happydogs.gr

The little Griffon mix loves nothing more than her wool blanket. When her mistress prepares it on the bed, she wobbles directly there and is waiting for her massage. Then she cuddles together with mom and dad in bed. Xenia is a happy dog, and she wants you to be happy, too!

Are you a dog lover? Sign up for more information about the book where dogs let us know “Who is the Coach here?”

It was exciting again to take a walk with the dogs at the friends of animals in Nea Philadelphia. Normally, there is a list with the names of all the dogs who need a walk. At this day, the list was missing. So I took this sweet female dog with me, and I cannot even tell her name here. Of course she was excited and jumped and pulled on the leash when we took our walk. I guess she is 3 or 4 years old and she is such a good girl. It was an enjoying walk with her, she loves to be stroked and seems to have an easy going character.

The next dog is Bibi, also a female. Bibi stays in the shelter for 2 or 3 years now. She likes also to jump on people a bit, but is calm and needs more time to get closer to people. She is an older good girl, that´s maybe why.

If you wonder how to spend your money or youdon´t know what to do with the rest of your time and love dogs, here is the link again to be a volunteer or give donations to the friend of animals in Nea Philadelphia, Athens, Greece.

All people and dogs will

thank you

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From dogphobia to doglove

Lupo is the dog of my friend. One week I took care about the 1 1/2 year old Labradormix. Now he is laying beside me on the coach and enjoys cuddling, while I read the introduction story from my book “Who is the coach here?”.

Having a dog beside me and being relaxed was not always like this. My former dog phobia was so strong and needed urgently to be resolved. As I studied at that climax of my fear Fine arts, I decided to discover the root of my fear and to paint it away. After three weeks I could approach dogs normally, with more interest to observe and study them.

Who is the coach here? – from dog phobia to dog love through painting the fear away

Who is the Coach here? – dogs talk about their own life

Lupo-Mousy doesn´t have yet a voice in my book, but therefore are a lot of other stories from Labradors, Rottweilers, French bulldogs or Poodles. But also mixed-breed dogs know to tell stories.

Who is the coach here? – from dogs we can learn what is forgiveness, unconditional love and trust

Romel the German Shepherd found a home!

Romel stayed for several years at the friends of animal rescue center in Athens, Greece. He was a good boy, following on the leash very well and also listening to commands.

He suffered under the typical Hip Dysplasia(HD), and sometimes he really couldn´t walk right, but at the same time he barked at other dogs in a hoarse tone. “Wuff wuff I am here and very strong”, he obviously wanted to say.

Every time when I left the center, Romel was looking at me, sometimes barking, but sometimes quiet. “I wanna be with somebody”, he said, I really could read his mind.

I wished so much Romel the good boy would find a quiet home with an person who understands him. But also a person who leads him and gives him easy tasks.

Five month later I visited the rescue center, and Romel was not there! “Where is Romel?” I asked Kiki, the leader of the center.

“Romel found a home” she replied. “A good person, fits to this German Shepherd” she said.

This are best news. Good bye and good luck in your new home, Romel German Shepherd boy!

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